November 8th Select Board Newsletter
November 8, 2019
Dear Stratham Residents,
Please read below for news and notes from the Town of Stratham.
In this edition:
- Veteran’s Day on Monday;
- a note about changes in Town;
- curbside collection update;
- budget work beginning;
- emergency planning and exercises; and
- a transportation update.
Please remind your neighbors about this resource for keeping on top of information from the Town. To sign-up for these updates and other notifications, please visit: https://www.strathamnh.gov/subscribe.
The Select Board
Michael Houghton, Chairman Joe Lovejoy, Vice Chair Allison Knab
TOWN OF STRATHAM VETERAN’S DAY COMMEMORATION TO BE HELD
The Town’s annual Veterans Day Ceremony will be held this coming Monday November 11th at 11:00 a.m. Once again, the event will be held at Stratham Hill Park near the Veteran’s Garden. Come join your neighbors, student musicians, our boy and girl scouts and our servicemen and their families as Stratham honors the men and women who served our country in the military.
Please click below to view the program for the event on Monday.
https://www.strathamnh.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif5051/f/uploads/vets_day_p...
VETERAN’S GARDEN ENGRAVINGS REMINDER
Are you an honorably discharged Veteran of the Armed Forces? Have you considered placing a brick in our Veterans’ Garden at Statham Hill Park? Applications are conveniently located in the lobby at the Town Office at 10 Bunker Hill Ave. In honor of Veterans Day, thank you for your service to our grateful Nation.
VETERANS DAY DISPLAY AT LIBRARY
Please visit the library to see the display honoring our veterans and active military personnel. The display includes photos, covers, Armed Forces book editions, and medals. One resident of Stratham has loaned a framed article about Operation Homecoming signed by the POWs she treated as a military nurse. Please consider loaning something representative of your or a family member’s time in the military for our locked display case. Items loaned to us bring the service and sacrifice of those who serve close to home. If you are interested, contact Karen Ryan or Lesley Kimball at the library (772-4346). When you visit the display, bring along your family – it’s a meaningful way to share these stories and experiences with children.
Veterans Garden Registry form: https://www.strathamnh.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif5051/f/uploads/veteransga...
A NOTE ABOUT CHANGES IN TOWN GOVERNMENT
This time of year our reflections naturally turn to what has taken place this year and our hopes for the year going forward. Top of mind for the Select Board is the community’s support and understanding as we have worked to navigate significant change, particularly in senior staff positions in the Town Government.
The past twelve months have been a period of transition across our Town resulting in the formation of a new leadership team poised to build upon the foundation established by their capable predecessors. The Town has installed a new Building Inspector, a new Town Administrator, a new Police Chief, a new Public Works Director and a new Finance Administrator. All of this change presents opportunities as well as inevitable bumps and other challenges that go with the territory when you experience transitions of this nature and embark on new possibilities.
As a Board, we are grateful for the community’s understanding as we navigate this change and ask for your continue support and encouragement going forward.
FROM THE TOWN CLERK/TAX COLLECTOR'S OFFICE
The 2019 tax rate has been set for the Town of Stratham. The new rate will be $3.30 per thousand of assessed value. The combined rate for local and state school, municipal and county taxes is $18.63. For more information about the Town-wide revaluation and results please visit: https://www.strathamnh.gov/assessing-department
Tax bills have been mailed on 11/7/19. The due date is 12/12/19.
If you do not receive your tax bill within a few days, please contact the Tax Collector’s office at 603-772-4741, ext. 140.
UPDATE ON CURBSIDE COLLECTION and the CC ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The Curbside Collection Advisory Committee is continuing to meet and work on its charge from the Select Board (see below) and plans to provide interim recommendations to the board in the coming weeks. Due to the lead time necessary to introduce an automated system, the earliest a new program could be deployed is spring of 2020. Meanwhile, current services will continue uninterrupted.
Readers of this newsletter will recall the Select Board appointed the CCAC with the charge to serve as a conduit for collecting input into program details and rollout strategies for the Town’s future curbside collection program as well as to synthesize that input and advise the Board on implementation strategies and more generally the future of recycling in Stratham.
For more information including agendas and meeting summaries, please visit https://www.strathamnh.gov/curbside-collection-advisory-committee
WORK BEGINNING ON TOWN BUDGET AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN
The staff and Board have begun work on the 2020 budget and capital improvement plan. In the coming weeks, meetings with the Town’s Budget Advisory Committee will be established as well as discussions with the Planning Board regarding its Capital Improvement Plan. Please stay tuned to this newsletter for updates.
BUNKER HILL AVENUE INTERSECTION WITH PORTSMOUTH AVENUE (NH 108)
On October 28th, Town staff attended the public hearing on the State’s Ten Year Transportation Plan hosted by Executive Councilor Russell Prescott. Staff were there to support the inclusion of the Bunker Hill Avenue Intersection improvements in the plan. Inclusion of this project in the plan does not translate into funding directly, however showing support for the project from the public as part of this hearing process will help ensure resources are brought to this project sooner rather than later. The final project improvements to address the safety of the intersection will be determined following engineering study.
The Stratham project (41711) can be found on page 187 of this .pdf, which can be accessed by following: https://www.nh.gov/dot/org/projectdevelopment/planning/typ/index.htm
Written comments regarding the Draft Ten Year Plan may be submitted through November 12, 2019 to the Department of Transportation. The address is NHDOT, PO Box 483, Concord, NH 03302, and Attn: Bill Watson (bill.watson@dot.nh.gov). Residents are encouraged to copy Executive Councilor Russell Prescott on the communications (represcott@nh.gov).
IMPORTANT REGIONAL TABLE-TOP EXERCISE HELD IN STRATHAM
Recently, the Town began updating its Hazard Mitigation Plan and hosted an important Table Top Exercise at the Town’s Fire Department that drilled a specific scenario. Participants included representatives from the Regional School District administrative team, Stratham Fire and Police, as well as Rockingham County dispatch, and many regional departments that support the Town in mutual aid arrangements.
The next Hazard Mitigation Plan meeting is to be held on November 15th at 10:00 a.m. at the Stratham Fire Station. This planning process is open to the public and funded 100% by a grant from the State of NH.
PARK AREA NAMED AFTER TOWN RESIDENT DOROTHY CLEMONS OF RIVER ROAD
On October 28th, the Select Board voted to name the small park area at the end of River Road, the Dorothy Clemons River Road Park at the Stratham Town Landing. Readers of this newsletter will be recall this process was completed in accordance with the Town’s policy for naming Town facilities; a similar volunteer effort to introduce signage, which reflects the name is anticipated.
Residents may recall Ms. Clemons was presented with the Boston Post Cane by the Town in 2015. To read more about Ms. Clemons please visit: https://www.strathamnh.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif5051/f/uploads/combined_d...
OPEN POSITIONS WITH THE TOWN OF STRATHAM
The Town of Stratham is currently seeking an Accounting and Benefits Coordinator as well as a Town Treasurer. To view the posting for the Coordinator position please click here: https://www.strathamnh.gov/town-administration/pages/open-positions
The Town is also seeking applicants for the part-time position of Firefighter/EMT. Part-time Firefighter/EMTs work 3- 10 hour shifts Mon-Fri between the hours of 07:00-17:00. The position responsibilities include but are not limited to; firefighting operations, emergency medical care, fire prevention, fire and life safety inspection of businesses, inspection and maintenance of department equipment and other related duties as they apply. Applicants should be team-oriented professionals. Please visit the Town of Stratham website for more details.
The Fire Department is always welcoming and looking for new members who would like to become a firefighter and / or EMT. If you are interested please come down to the Fire Station on the first or third Tuesday at 7:30pm.